Rough sleepers in Cambridge have 24 hours to clear their belongings from doorways after a man’s only photos of his dead son were thrown away by council workers.

City council street sweepers are now collecting possessions in bin bags and leaving them in doorways for a day after they inadvertently put a homeless man’s only photos of his dead son in the bin, as previously reported by the News. Cambridge City Council chiefs launched an investigation and apologised for the gaffe.

The council is also looking into mirroring a US initiative in which lockers are provided for rough sleepers.

But in the meantime, street cleaners have been told how to deal with the belongings of rough sleepers found in the street.

Suzanne Hemingway, strategic director for Cambridge City Council, said: “We have not introduced a new policy. However, following some reports earlier in the summer, we have clarified to staff what we expect.

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“Where there are items and someone is with them, or can be readily identified nearby, we will speak to the owner and if necessary ask them to move things that may be hazardous or blocking public access.

“Where there are unattended items we will leave them where found, in a bag with a notice that says we will clear them after 24 hours.

“The only exception to this is items that pose a public safety risk, for example, used sharps (needles) which we clear and dispose of.

A homeless person's sleeping bag in a city doorway

“If items remain in situ 24 hours after us placing a notice on them, we will take them to the council depot in Mill Road. Owners who make themselves known to support agencies will be told how to reclaim their belongings from the council.

“We are working to achieve a balance between protecting the interests of those who sleep rough, and keeping the city’s streets clean and safe for the public.

“Our focus is on working with rough sleepers to access alternative accommodation, and the support that they need to be able to move off the streets.”

The homeless man said council workers binned the only photographs of his five-year-old son - who he says was killed in a crash just three weeks earlier.

Rough sleepers set up camp near Grand Arcade

Other belongings of rough sleepers swept up included medicines, books, new clothes and other personal items and mementoes.

Incidents of rough sleeping in Cambridge, which are primarily concentrated in the city centre, have almost doubled in the past year and the number of rough sleepers has also risen to almost 200, the council said.